1. Technical Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to communication systems; and, more particularly, it relates to devices and methods for performing processing, including demodulation and/or symbol mapping, of communication signals received within such communication systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Data communication systems have been under continual development for many years. Within such communication systems, oftentimes digital information is modulated (e.g., associated with a label and mapped to a corresponding constellation point within a given constellation thereby generating signaling points) in accordance with generating a continuous time signal to be transmitted across a communication channel.
At the receiver end of the communication channel (e.g., in a receiver communication device), the received signal undergoes demodulation and/or de-mapping in an effort to try to recover the original signaling points generated in accordance with modulation in a transmitter communication device. However, because an actual communication system and its associated communication channel(s) are typically imperfect, a signal may be corrupted during transmission from a transmitter communication device to a receiver communication device (e.g., from distortion, noise, interference, etc.). Because of this, the signaling points are oftentimes not recovered perfectly in a receiver communication device.
While there has been much effort in the art over the past many years to try to address such issues, there still exists in the art significant deficiencies and a seemingly never-ending desire to support communications more effectively and with better performance.
Generally speaking, within the context of communication systems, there is a first communication device at one end of a communication channel (e.g., with encoder and modulation capability) and second communication device at the other end of the communication channel (e.g., with de-modulation and decoder capability). In many instances, one or both of these two communication devices includes both modulation/encoder and de-modulation/decoder capability (e.g., within a bi-directional communication system).
While there has been much effort in the art over the past many years to try to address such issues, there still exists in the art significant deficiencies and a seemingly never-ending desire to support communications more effectively and with better performance.